The Star and the Wolf
by rabiote
Summary: Ever since her pack was wiped out by hunters, Stella has been hiding. Her mixed heritage makes it hard for her to fit in, and her were blood stops her from settling down anywhere. After escaping Helgen with some help, she wanted to return the favor. A short trip to Whiterun to ask for aid gets complicated when a certain Companion catches sight of her. M for future lang/violence/sex
1. Chapter 1

_Hello everyone! Thanks for taking the time to give this story a look! Stella is probably my third character in Skyrim, but she was the first one whose story became really fleshed out. I fell in love witb Farkas on my first playthrough, but I wanted to 'play the field' (as my friend puts it) to see who else there was and never ended up getting married. Stella met Farkas and never wanted to leave him again._

_ I hope you enjoy the story~ Please review so I can do my best to improve in future chapters! _

_Thanks again!_

_~rabiote_

_ PS, _

_Skyrim belongs to Bethesda, not me._

* * *

A quiet breeze rustled the moonlight trees in the forests between Helgen and Riverwood. Any soul foolish enough to be wandering in the forests of Skyrim during the full moonwould have paused in wonder at the strange trio moving together through the brush. A sleek-looking hunting dog and a fat, obviously well cared for, pony were lazily following a full-grown white werewolf through the forest, meandering silently after the massive creature. The shewolf looked back every few minutes, seemingly to check on her followers as they trekked over the rough ground. Although they were careful to stay under the cover of the trees in the dark forest, the trio steadily made their way towards Riverwood. As the light began to stretch over the horizon, the werewolf paused. She growled as a ripple of change began to shake her body. Stumbling to her knees, the muscular form of the beast cracked and stretched as the call of Hircine faded from her blood. The hunting dog yawned, laying down on a patch of grass, patiently waiting for his mistress.

A small mer stood and stretched in the early morning sunlight. "Ugh, it's always the change back that hurts the _worst, _Eclipse."

The dog woofed and thumped his tail good-naturedly. Stella laughed and patted the dog on his head as she made her way over to the pony. She rummaged through the sizable saddlebag and pulled out her equipment and some food. Tossing a rabbit haunch to the dog, she quickly stuffed a hunk of bread and cheese into her mouth before pulling on her armor and a small quiver of arrows. As she ran a brush through her dark hair and pulled it back into braids, Stella watched the forest come to life around her. Dawn was always her favorite time of day in Skyrim, and she took a moment to watch the sun rise slowly over the mountains. Forgetting for a moment all her worries, she laid back onto the grass and closed her eyes.

_Who are you? The Nord, Hadvar, had asked her. My name is Stellarys, she had said. Her full name bringing a wave of sadness through her. Her mother had been the only one to use her full name regularly; her father and the rest of the pack preferred to call her Stella. She didn't know who she was anymore. She had failed her family, her pack. They all lay dead, taken from her by werewolf slayers, and soon she would be joining them in the Hunting Grounds. She had been so ready to be reunited with her pack. Ready to leave this dammed place where she and her kind were feared and hated because they dared to accept gifts from a god. But that...monster had attacked. A dragon! A beast of legend! It came from the sky and plunged her life again into flames. She had managed to escape that burning place with the help of Hadvar. But the monstrous black dragon that spit licking flames at her body would be haunting her dreams. Fire, heat, flames, burning, consuming everything, everywhere._

Jolting upright, Stella shuddered at the memory of the dragon's fire. Eclipse immediately moved to her, laying his heavy head on her lap, and looked up at her with his comforting brown eyes. She smiled down at the lanky dog, stroking his head gently. Clamboring onto her lap, the huge dog licked her face excitedly. She laughed and pushed him away playfully. Stella rose to her feet, resecured her pony's bags, and lifted herself into the saddle. It was time to continue towards the village. She was always apprehensive about Nord villages as, in her experiences, they rarely went out of their way to be friendly to any mer, especially one with mixed blood. Stella counted her lucky stars that she looked enough like her dunmer mother to keep most nords simply annoyed at her presence. With tensions against the Thalmor and their allies nearing a breaking point, Stella did not need to look any more like her bosmer father.

Trotting nearer Riverwood, she was surprised to catch sight of a bosmer casually walking towards the village. He turned and caught sight of her, a warm smile creasing his features. "Greetings sister elf! Nice to see another mer so far from home."

Swinging casually off of her pony, Stella looked up at the male bosmer as he peered down at her curiously. "You...you are dunmer?"  
Wincing inwardly, Stella grinned up at him. "Last time I checked, brother."

Still looking at her with a curious expression on his angular face, the bosmer shrugged and placed his hands on his hips. "So, how can I help you on this fine day?"

"I'm looking for Hadvar... or his uncle. Where can I find them?"

The bosmer pointed back over his shoulder. "Hadvar? I thought he was off with the legion? His uncle's smithy is just inside the village. You can't miss it."

Stella thanked the bosmer and leapt back into the saddle. She really needed to get herself a different hood. The mage's hood she had pilfered in Helgen was not helping her hide her odd features, and it would do her no favors in a group of nords. For now, though, she needed to get to Riverwood.

Two days later, Stella sneezed as she pushed open the gate to Whiterun. The blacksmith in Riverwood had asked her to go to the Jarl for help, and wanting to return a favor to Hadvar and the villagers, she had agreed. As soon as she had cleared the falls outside of Riverwood, however, Stella had caught the vague scent of werewolves. Apprehensive about meeting strange wolves, she had slunk around the city, trying to scout out the wolves. Finding nothing after a day of searching, she hoped that the vague scent of werewolf would fade once she entered the city; but if anything, it had gotten stronger. Her nose twitched with the menagerie of smells assaulting her nostrils, and Stella was anxious about her inability to detect the weres. She was not used to city life, so the myriad of new things both to see and smell was sure to drive her mad. Eclipse looked up at her warily, sensing her nervousness. Stella knew her own smell was disguised both by Eclipse and the large sachet of dried lavender and juniper concealed in her armor, but her were-scent still was detectable, she knew that.

The guards paid her little attention as she walked slowly into the main square of Whiterun. The sight of the tavern made her mouth water with the idea of a warm-cooked meal. She really needed some food and a soft bed. Passing the small marketplace, she caught sight of a male nord leaning heavily on one of the stalls, obviously flirting with the woman behind it. The stench of his lust made Stella curl her nose in disgust. The Imperial woman that he faced looked angry and harassed as she turned away from the man. Shaking her head vehemently, the woman crossed her arms. The man stood and laughed as he made his way towards the tavern.

Stella watched the fury that shadowed the womans face. There was a sense of helpless frustration that intruiged the dunmer. Curious, she slowly made her way over to the stall and quietly browsed the wares. The harried Imperial gave on last glower in the direction the nord had taken before turning towards the elf, a small smile brightening her face. Stella continued to pick through the selection, piling apples into her arms, and smiled back at the woman. She dug through her pack for some gold coins, and asked causally, "So, is that guy bothering you?"

A frown crossed the pretty Imperial woman's face. "Bothering is an understatement. He won't leave me in peace...just like all the other blasted men in this town."

"What? Why?"

"My husband died a while ago, and ever since every male in this town has decided that I am some simpering female that needs to be cared for. Even some of the single men have tried to bed me. Why can't they understand that the only thing that I'm concerned about right now is providing for my daughter."

Stella saw a wave of sadness pass over the woman's face at the mention of her dead husband and her heart ached for the Imperial. Patting the woman's hand, she gently asked, "Would you like me to talk to him for you?"

The woman smiled, but looked down at Stella's small form with doubt. "Are you sure you'd be okay? I'd love for him to leave me alone, but I wouldn't want you to get hur-"

Stella giggled. "I promise, the only one who will be hurting will be him."

The imperial smiled down at the dunmers large pile of apples. "You get rid of Mikael, and you get all the apples you can eat."

Farkas entered the Bannered Mare with his brother and Aela. As a rule, he preferred drinking at Jorrvaskar; either in his room or with his shield siblings. But a few weeks earlier, Vilkas had caught sight of the new serving wench, Saadia, so they had been frequenting the Bannered Mare much more often. The redguard woman seemed as intent on avoiding Vilkas as he was in pursuing her. The moment they walked in, Farkas saw the bard starting a fight in the back corner but didn't pay it much attention. The shameless bard was always fighting with some person or another. Aela snorted at the fight, turning to grab a bottle of mead from Hulda before heading towards her friend Uthgerd in the back of the tavern. Farkas stood with his brother, watching him scan the crowd for the redguard. Caching sight of her in the kitchen, Vilkas grinned and ran a hand roughly through his hair. "Wish me luck, brother."

Farkas smiled at his brother retreating back before the commotion near the fire drew his attention again. Looking closer, he realized there was what looked like a tiny elfen female fighting with the bard. The larger nord had the girl in a headlock and was appearing to take liberal opportunity to run his other hand across her chest. Farkas saw a flush of rage appear across the females face before she stomped down heavily on his foot. With a shout of pain, the nord man released the female. She spun around lightly and punched him expertly on the jaw. A muffled crunch and a groan of pain followed as the man hit the floor loudly. The dark elf grabbed her tankard and raised it in victory as the women around her cheered.

Farkas raised his mug in salute as she drank to her victory. Suddenly, the downed nord leaped to his feet and picked up the elf, whispering somthing in her ear and planting a kiss on her lips. A feminine shriek of outrage shook the rafters and Farkas winced as the elf's fist contacted with the man's jaw again. The bard stumbled, laughing roughly, but kept his grip on the struggling elf. Farkas watched with interest as the tiny female fought to free herself from the larger nord. For some reason the sight of this female writhing in another man's arms was rubbing him the wrong way. He fought down the snarl that threatened to erupt from his throat. _The bard should not touch her like that._


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello again everyone~ _

_I hope you continue to enjoy the story... some fluffy goodness ahead in this chapter._

_Again, Skyrim and all it characters belongs to Bethesda, not me_

* * *

Stella couldn't believe it. _How dare he! I swear to the nine I'm going to rip his throat out! _His arms binding her smaller form firmly against his body, Mikael had whispered a promise of sexual conquest into her ear, chuckling darkly as he mashed his lips against hers and grinded roughly against her backside.

A sudden sound of well-worn metal armor echoed from across the tavern, and Stella paused, turning towards the sound. An even larger (well, they were all large to her) nord man stood and lifted his sword, advancing towards her and the bard threateningly. Stella felt the disgusting sack of blisterwort holding her pause for a split second and she took her chance, elbowing him forcefully in the chest. Suprised, he fell backwards, clutching his chest and coughing violently as she wrenched herself from his grip. Glowering, Mikael lunged for the small elf angrily. Stella braced herself for the blow, but before it came, a steel encased hand shot inches in front of her face, catching the suprised bard around the throat and tossing him hard against the wall. Landing with a hard thump against the wood, the bard slowly slid down, dazed.

Leaping backwards in surprise, Stella landed hard on her back with a gasp. The armored nord was standing above her, looking down at her with amusement twinkling in his silvery eyes. He extended a massive hand gently towards her, offering his help.

"Wha- what's so funny? Why'd you have to go and interrupt my fight?"

"Nothing funny, little one. Just tryin' t-"

"_Little_ one?!"

"That's what you are."

"I... Well! I didn't need your divines-blasted help!" Pushing his arm away, Stella rose slowly to her feet, dusted herself off and chugged the rest of her mead. She knew she'd had too much to drink. The numerous tankards of mead she had managed to consume over the past couple hours, pushed on her by the armored female in the back corner of the bar, were worming their way through her brain, turning everything around her slightly fuzzy. She knew she needed to leave the tavern. But the sight of the massive _attractive_ male above her in his _attractively masculine _armor looking at her levelly with his _sinfully attractive _silvery eyes just made her want to do something... "I challenge you to a fight, gigantor!"

Farkas looked down at the angry elf, raising his hands in a placating gesture, struck by how brightly her reddish eyes seemed to light up from beneath her hood in the soft tavern light. The top of her head barely reached his chest, and Farkas was struggling with the impulse to push back her hood and see her face in the full light. "I was only trying to help, little one. I have no argument with you."

Stella placed her hands on her hips angrily, "I didn't ask for you to help me. I would have beat him on my own. You owe me a fight! Now, fight me!"

Farkas shook his head. "You are too small, little dunmer."

Stella stomped her boot furiously, glaring up at the nord and snarling. "I'm not too small! You, giant nord, are too big!"

Shrugging, Farkas turned to leave. His control was waning, and he couldn't trust himself to be around her much longer. The deep hood she wore hid most of her face from him, but her curious scent of lavender, juniper, and animal made him want to bury his nose into the skin at her neck. Her small, curvy body made his fingers itch with the desire to caress her and her feisty accusations were making him want to toss her into a bed and show her just how _big_ he was. Shaking his head to rid himself of the mental image, Farkas grunted and looked away.

"Maybe you're just scared to be topped by a mer!"

Farkas felt his cock jerk under his armor as a sudden vision of the dunmer writhing on top of him, her bright red-orange eyes filled with pleasure as she raised and lowered herself onto his pulsing arousal. Groaning softly, Farkas turned again and walked away. The mer moved to stop him.

"Nord! Don't walk away from me! Where are you going? Fight me."

That's the last thing I want to do... but you are too tempting, Little one.

"I told you little one, you're too small."

"Listen, you hulking Divines-dammed lump of troll sh-"

"Farkas."

"-it, just bec- what?"

"Farkas. If you're going to curse me, I'd rather you know my name."

"Fine. _Farkas._ Fight me."

"Not going to happen."

Stella snarled again as Farkas stepped around her and made a line for the door. She followed the hulking nord outside angrily. Passing Eclipse outside, Stella heard him give a small whine of concern as he stood to follow her, but she waved him away and stomped out into the Whiterun after the nord.

Farkas needed to get away from the dunmer. Swiftly, he headed out of the city, hoping a run through the tundra would drive the dunmer from his thoughts. The sun was quickly approaching the horizon, and he could feel his inner wolf fighting for control. He wanted to mate her with an intensity that he hadn't experienced before. He _needed_ to be inside her. But as he reached the drawbridge in front of Whiterun, he felt a tug on the back of his shoulder plate and spun around. His first clear sight of the dunmer's delicate face in the sunlight, her eyes sparking with irritation, sent another jolt of sensation to his cock. She was still scowling at him, arms akimbo, daring him to come and fight her.

"Don't run away from me."

"I'm not running away. I'm trying to keep you from getting hurt."

Stella scoffed at the idea, "As if you could hurt me." She moved closer to the nord, shoving against his chest with both hands. "I've taken down skeevers bigger than you are, Fark-ass!"

Farkas's control, hanging on by a thread, snapped. With a silent growl, Farkas pushed the surprised mer against the inside wall of the guard tower, trapping her small form with his larger one. His hands slammed against the stone on either side of her body.

His deep voice rumbled dangerously. "Why do you push me, little one? I could break you.. you're so tiny."

_Her mouth was so close... All he needed to do was lower his head and her lips would be his. _

Stella looked up at the nord looming over her. His silvery gaze focused intently on her lips as her tongue flickered over them. His armor encased body was pressing her into the wall, and she was suddenly acutely aware of his hard, muscular arms that were set like pillars on either side of her. His eyes lifted from her lips and met her gaze slowly. The sounds of the Whiterun guards seemed to fade as his lips slowly moved towards hers. Stella shivered as his breath ghosted against her trembling mouth. Closing her eyes, she felt a growl of pleasure stirring in her chest as he pressed his lips firmly onto hers. The soft weight of his tongue stroked against her mouth before she shyly parted her lips. She felt his hands sweep down the sides of her head and gently push back her hood before cradling her face in his callused palms. Her body thrummed with excitement as his tongue swept into her mouth. He kissed her slowly, savoring the exotic taste of her as their tongues entwined.

Pulling her mouth away, Stella pushed against him, her fingers gripping his armor tightly. She looked up at him dazedly, murmuring, "You're just too big, Farkas."

Farkas smirked down at her. "You're the first to complain, little one."

Stella jumped as she felt his arms slide firmly under her backside and lift her slowly off of her feet until they were face to face. Wedged between the hard wall and the steel of his chest, she wrapped her legs securely around his waist, smiling as she twined her hands into his long dark hair.

Resting his forehead on hers, Farkas asked quietly, "Is that better?"

"Much better," she whispered.

He grinned and pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. Their lips met again, and Farkas's warm strength supported her as their mouths touched, lips met, and tongues explored. Stella's body quickly heated through, and her limbs became heavy with longing for the nord. She broke the kiss, her face inches from his. Farkas's eyes were burning with an almost predatory longing as they met her own. He nuzzled her neck gently until her head fell back against the wall, and nipped her exposed throat softly. Stella's breath caught in her throat from pleasure, and her half-closed eyes gazed blindly upward as Farkas's teeth erotically scraped against her skin. A soft growl of pleasure erupted from her throat, and her hips instinctively rolled against his. Farkas moaned softly and traced his tongue up along the column of her neck, nipping her earlobe. His strong hands traced dexterously up her stomach, following the curve of her body before cupping the soft swells of her breasts through her pliant leather armor. Stella made a small sound of pleasure, arching her back and pressing herself deeper into his palms. All thought of fighting had long since left her mind, replaced with an intense, burning desire for this nord. His large body covered and caressed her gently, and his earthy scent reminded her of the mountains in spring. There was...something about it...something wild and untamed that made her want to rub her body all over his.

Farkas was going to explode. The scent of arousal wafting off of this little elf was going to kill him, and as her luscious hips were rhythmically grinding her soft heat against his stomach, his own arousal pressed almost painfully against his armor. Her head was thrown back in pleasure, resting on the stone wall of the watch tower, and her half-lidded eyes seemed to be almost glowing in desire as the last rays of sunlight fell softly over her through the open archway. He was in awe of her. There seemed to be so much power hidden in her small form that writhed against his. This delicate little elf was well on her way to bringing him to his knees. Her eyes drifted over his face, a small smile twisting her mouth as their gazes met. He chuckled darkly at her heated eyes and tugged gently at the buckles that kept the glory of her bare skin against his. He felt her hands unclench from his hair before drifting down his face and shoulders; an answering pull on his own chest plate came not long after.

Stella's heart was pounding as she felt her armor loosening from her body. His hands seemed to be nearly desperately tugging at her leather cuirass. At the first glimpse of her oddly tanned skin, she sensed his quick intake of breath, followed by the sensation of his warm hands gliding across her chest, pushing the tough leather farther and farther from her. The callused fingers almost shyly touched her as her own hands stilled at the contact. Her gaze drifted dreamily upwards as his lips pressed against her collarbone and his hands gently cupped her breasts.

Stella, lost in the pleasure of Farkas's embrace, was brought suddenly back to Nirn at the pulse of energy that coursed through her body. An icy ball of fear settled in her stomach, quelling the pleasure that had coursed through her body, as the call of the hunt sounded into her soul and she felt her inner wolf shift towards the surface. _Hircine have mercy. Why tonight, of all nights? Another full moon?_

Stella couldn't help the fear that sounded in her voice. "Stop! Please, Farkas. You need to stop!"

His voice was a quiet rumble of laughter against her skin. "Why little one? Still think I'm too big?"

"By Azura, Farkas. Put me down!" Her hands desperately scrabbled against his armor as she bucked against him. He groaned loudly as her body pressed against his. Desperately, Stella swung her foot down powerfully, striking the back of his knee with her heel. His leg shot towards the ground, and he stumbled back in surprise. Stella landed heavily on her feet, already refastening her armor and whistled for Eclispe. "I have to go.. Sorry, Farkas."

"Wait!"

She paused, looking at the nord with regret swimming brightly in her eyes. She kissed him gently, cupping his scruffy cheek with her small hand before whispering, "Good-bye, Farkas. I must go."

Farkas tried to jump to his feet as she pulled away, but her kick had effectively jammed his knee. He reached for her again, but she was running towards her pony, leaping into the saddle, and riding swiftly away. He watched as her dog sped after her into the vast plains of Whiterun hold.

She was gone... leaving Farkas with only the lingering scent of her arousal, a jammed knee, and a raging hunger that only she could satiate.

* * *

_For the purposes of this story, I kept Farkas and the other Companions as having the vanilla lycanthropy in the game. They aren't really affected by the phases of the moon and they can shift at will. _

_My characters have always used a mod that makes them always shift on and around the night of the full moon. It just adds that little bit of extra immersion for me. =) _

_That mod, which is fabulous, is this one: mods/12687/?_


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry for the long wait... My computer decided to be a jerk, so I haven't had any internet for the last week and a half. It randomly decided to start working again today, though~ _

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Farkas growled angrily as he limped into Jorrvaskar. It had been the better part of an hour before he had been able to move from where the dunmer had knocked him down. By then, he knew she would be long gone. The winds that whipped across the tundra were taking her scent away has he spoke. The drunken laughter of his shield siblings was normally something that he enjoyed being a part of, but tonight, their glee only ground on his nerves. Skjor looked over at him as he passed the table, smirking at the dark look that shadowed Farkas's face . "Rough night, whelp? Looks as if that little mer I heard was snapping at your heels got the best of you."

Farkas let out a lupine snarl and stalked past the chortling nord towards his bed.

It should be him laughing with that little mer on his arm. He was entranced by her. He wondered why she looked different from the other dunmer he had seen around Whiterun. Her skin, instead of a dark ash color, was lighter, more tanned than he had seen on any elf besides a wood elf. Her striking red eyes had flashed a coppery color and seemed to be more rounded. She was so tiny compared to him. Her compact body was sweet and curvy in all the right places. He had slept with his fair share of women, mostly Nords like himself, but just the memory of this little dunmer's curves pressing into his palms were more than likely to arouse him for days to come. Muttering darkly, he slammed the doors to his room, grabbed a bottle of mead, and flopped into a chair. Moodily sipping the powerful brew, he continued to mull over the small elf that had been in his arms. He wondered why she had turned from pliant flesh to a writhing hellion in seconds.

Deep in his thoughts, Farkas did not hear anyone at his door until it swung slowly in. He looked up at the sound of a quiet chuckle coming from the figure standing in the doorway.

"You seem preoccupied, Farkas."

Farkas gave a grunt of acknowledgement and watched as Kodlak made his way into the room, settling into a chair next to him. "I hear that you exchanged some words with a dunmer down at Hulda's. Tell me, was her tongue as wicked as the stories lead say?"

Farkas looked stonily down at his mead as another quiet laugh rumbled from the older nord.

"Well, seeing as how you are such a good mood, do you think you could run a little errand for me?"

Glancing up at the older man, Farkas nodded and quickly drained his mug.

"I need you to get rid of a small troupe of thieves that have settled into the Swindler's Den."

"You want me to do what?"

"Farkas, it's not that difficult. All you have to do is root out the last couple bandits in the cave. There won't be any more than 5 or 6, so you won't be needing a shield sibling on this trip. You should be able to handle them."

"But..."

"Trust me, Farkas, this is something you must do alone. Get some rest. You should head out early tomorrow."

Farkas looked doubtfully down at the old nord sitting before him. Kodlak knew how dangerous it was for a werewolf alone against the Silver Hand. It was normally him who protested the loudest when a member of the Circle went out without a partner. But there was a knowing glimmer in the old man's deep eyes that made Farkas pause.

Stella stuffed the last of her gear into her pony's pack angrily. She couldn't believe that she hadn't remembered the full moon. She had been so caught up in the overwhelming arousal raging through her veins that she had forgotten herself for the first time since she was a cub. She shuddered when she thought what could have happened if she had shifted in Whiterun. Humans just didn't understand. Her pony, Sorcha, nickered affectionately as Stella hugged her. Gazing at the rising moon, she felt the call of her wolf thrumming through her body. Her skin fairly burned with anticipation of the shift. A chill breeze ran over the bare skin on her back as the last bit of sunlight faded from the horizon. The prickly feeling of transformation began to wash over her body, and Stella grunted as she felt bones stretching and resetting under the light of the full moon.

Fully changed into her wolf, Stella stretched languidly in the grass. Eclipse looked at her and yawned, rolling onto his back and stretching his legs lazily into the air. Stella smiled and lightly buffed the hound with her paw. It seemed she would be going alone tonight. Standing, she let out a joyful bark and began to run swiftly over the empty tundra.

Early the next morning, the small dunmer crept quietly into Whiterun. Her body felt too small and stiff in the chill of the early air, and she rolled her shoulders uncomfortably. The scent of werewolf was laying heavier in the city and it was starting to rankle on her nerves. Gritting her teeth, Stella resolutely scanned over the rooftops, searching for where she could find the Jarl. _By Hircine, I'll find the Jarl and deliver the message. Then I should find Farkas...maybe try and apologize for kicking out his knee. _She grimaced and idly ran her fingers through Eclipse's fur. _That will be fun to explain. _

Stella cursed under her breath and made her way through the city's busy streets and into the marketplace.

"Stella!"

The mer jumped at the sound of her name. Turning quickly, she saw the owner of the Bannered Mare, Hulda, waving emphatically for her to come over. Hesitantly, Stella walked over the Nord woman who grinned and pushed a handful of parchment at the mer. surprised, Stella stuttered, "Wh-what are th-"

"Well dear, you forgot to take these with you last night. You took just about every bounty poster that we had. You kept muttering about how you needed the gold." The innkeeper winked knowingly at the speechless mer. "That was, of course, before you followed Farkas out of the tavern. By the nine, does that nord fill out a set of armor." She clicked her tongue appreciatively.

Stella watched, dumbfounded as the tavern keeper turned and strode back into the tavern. _Hircine help me_. _I guess I have become a bounty hunter now. _Looking down at the small bundle in her hands, she sighed at looked up at the distant towers of Dragonsreach. _Well, I'll have to go up there to collect the bounty anyway. Might as well make some gold. It'll give me some time to come up with a story for Farkas, too. _

Outside of Halted Stream Camp, Stella wiped the sweat off her brow as she yanked the last arrow out of the dead bandit's chest. _These nasty buggers are really starting to get on my nerves. _The stench of fear and death that permeated the campsite was making her feel sick to her stomach and she couldn't wait to get the hell away from the place. Patting Eclipse gently on his head, she sighed deeply and slipped silently into the cavern.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Stella could hear someone further ahead in the tunnel. The sound of a pickaxe striking rock shattered the silence, making it easy for Stella to slip quietly down the stone corridor. She heard the bandit curse softly and toss aside a large rock before dropping his tool with a clang. His heavy footsteps echoed through the cavern as Stella and Eclipse crouched, hidden, in the darkness. The elf quietly strung her bow and lined up her shot. The large bandit sat heavily in his chair and reached for a bottle of ale, unaware of the spinning arrow until it buried itself deep in his throat.

Eclipse trotted lightly past the slumped figure, sniffing delightedly at the number of mammoth steaks stored in the area as Stella knelt over the dead bandit. Grinning at the amount of coins she found, she quickly pocketed what she could before turning towards the locked gate barring the way any further into the camp. Poking at the lock gently, Stella snorted at the simplicity of the device. A quick twist with her pocketknife and she was in. Creeping quietly down the dark passageway, Stella strained her ears for any sound of danger. Her nose twitched at the scent of rotting meat that wafted from the chamber ahead. Stella shook her head in disgust. _When will they learn not to kill the bigger creatures unless they have enough demand? What a waste of perfectly good mammoth. _

Voices echoed from the large room ahead and Stella motioned for Eclipse to keep behind her. The large dog looked up at her faithfully, settling back on his haunches. Creeping towards the lighted area, Stella heard the bandits chatting, obviously unaware of her approach.

Inching her way forward, Stella peeked over the stacked burlap sacks that lined the railing.

_So... we have four up front...and the head boyo in the ba-"_

She was suddenly distracted by the odd sheen that was coming off of the floor. Raising her eyes to the ceiling, she frowned at the sight of old lanterns hanging by worn-looking lights. _Great. More fire. _Slinking back towards the tunnel, Stella notched an arrow and aimed for one of the bandits hacking at the mammoth the last possible moment, the bandit moved and the arrow slammed into his shoulder. _Secunda's tits!_ The Imperial fell with a cry of pain, and his allies immediately sprang into action. Stella retreated quickly into the dark of the passageway. She could hear the clanging of armor and the crackle of magic in the air made her hair stand on end.

Eclipse crouched angrily, fangs bared and hackles raised as the bandits ventured into the passageway. Stella tapped his nose gently and placed her hand on his shoulders. They sat together, silently waiting for the bandits to retreat. One of them ventured close to the wooden partition where Stella and Eclipse were hidden, a magic shield crackling dangerously. Stella could feel her dog tense under her hand, but still he obeyed her. They crouched in silence as the bandits finally retreated back into the main chamber to tend to their wounded comrade.

Stella repeated her dangerous pattern of shoot and hide again and again until only the chief and two of his companions remained. She could smell the potent mixture of anger and fear rolling off of the bandits. Creeping forward, Stella patted Eclipse's rump softly. The hound leapt to his feet and followed her down the tunnel. Notching another arrow, she eyed the men standing over their fallen, trying to gauge who would cause her and her friend the most trouble. Deciding on the chief, she scooted closer to the railing of the platform, aiming for his sword-arm. But as she was pulling back her bowstring, the large Nord chef turned, spotting the crouching elf. He bellowed with rage and pain as the arrow buried itself into the large muscles of his arm.

"You bitch! You'll pay for what you've done!"

Stella grimaced as the bandits charged towards her, their large swords thirsty for her blood. Strapping her bow across her chest, she quickly drew her sword. Eclipse barked savagely as he hurled himself at the advancing enemies. The bandit howled in pain as the large dog's teeth ripped into his forearm. Stella delved into the fray, swinging her short sword with deadly accuracy.

The bandit chief watched furiously as another member of his team fell to the elf and her mongrel. _This bitch. She needs to die. _

Stella snarled in pain as the last bandit sliced through the armor on her arm. Ducking quickly as he swung for her neck, she nimbly sprang around to his side and ran her sword up and through his chest. He gasped in pain and fell gurgling to the ground. Stella inner wolf howled in victory, but it was quickly cut short at a sudden sharp yowl of pain from Eclipse. She spun around, her eyes widening at the bloody gash that covered her friends side. The chief chuckled darkly as the dog staggered to his feet, growling weakly. The large nord swung his steel encased foot at the dog, hitting him squarely on his wounded side. The dog yelped weakly as it collapsed onto the filthy ground. Stella roared in anger, charging at the much larger nord. The nord swung his massive weapon as she lunged towards him, and stars of pain exploded in front of Stella's eyes when his huge war hammer connected solidly with her collarbone. Her body slammed into the ground, and the nord laughed again as he raised his hammer again. Stella scrambled backwards, trying to avoid the heavy weapon. The dull gleam of steel flashed again in front of the elf as she tried to evade another hit, but he was too fast. A dull crunch of breaking ribs met the elf's ears as a wave of extreme pain washed over her at the next impact of the bandits weapon. Stella's body collapsed backwards the dirt, and she watched in horror as the bandit chief lifted his weapon again.

"Skyrim is for the nords you fucked up litt-"

Suddenly, the large nord was knocked forward. Eclipse had struggled to his feet and thrown himself onto the chiefs back. Stella started to pull herself away, but a large hand grabbed onto her ankle, fingers pressing cruelly through her boots. A sudden flash of power thrummed through her body and she stiffened as her wolf spirit rushed to the surface. Looking down, she saw the nord's face contort in confusion as his intended victim's body stiffened and convulsed.

Within seconds, the baffled nord was holding a fully grown werewolf by the back paw. Stella looked down at him and snarled angrily. Bloodlust rose and she reveled in the shriek of terror that echoed through the cavern.


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry for the wait... Moving is a B. _

_The Reach has always been one of my favorite places to explore in Skyrim.. __It's just so pretty, e__ven with the friggen forsworn swarming everywhere. Please enjoy!_

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Chapter 4

Stella knelt over her dog, inspecting the damage to her friend's side. She snarled at the injuries she found. Eclipse whined softly, lifting his head slightly and looking up at her lovingly. She ran her clawed fingers soothingly through his short fur, gently lifting the dog into her arms. Glancing back into the cavern, she bared her fangs in satisfaction at the carnage left behind.  
Emerging into the early night air, Stella looked around the empty camp for her pony. Lifting her head, she barked softly into the chill air. A whinny echoed over to her as the sound of hooves came closer. Sorcha galloped quickly around the wood fence circling the camp, skidding to a halt in front of the werewolf. The pony flared her nostrils at the scent of the blood covering her companions, snorting loudly and shaking her head. Stella shifted her hold on her dog, cradling him gently in one arm as she reached out to her pony. Stroking the pony gently along her neck, Stella followed the line of her body to the saddle. Tugging at the thick leather of her saddle, she grinned at the rewarding thump as it fell to the ground. Tenderly, she placed Eclipse onto the wide, warm back of her pony. before turning back to the saddle and dexterously opening her saddlebag. Pulling a length of rope from the pack, she wrapped it loosely around the dog, securing his lanky body to the pony. Sorcha whickered, turning her head to watch her mistress with warm eyes. Stella nuzzled the stocky pony, patting her gently on the flank. Riverwood. Head for Riverwood, my friend. The stocky pony whinnied and set out quickly across the plains. Stella loped after them silently, making sure that their journey was uneventful. She left them at the entrance to the village, watching as her pony trotted up to the blacksmith.  
Slipping back into the darkness of the fast approaching night, Stella slunk behind the homes of Riverwood. Creeping along the fast-flowing waters of the White River, she felt a wave of deep sadness at the absence of her companions. Wandering the woods alone, Stella never felt truly safe... especially with the unknown werewolves around Whiterun still lurking. Reaching the shores of Lake Ilinalta, Stella sat back on her haunches. Looking up into the clear night sky, she lifted her muzzle to the stars and howled mournfully.

Far across the plains of Whiterun, just outside of Swindler's Den, Farkas froze at the sound of the howl floating down from the mountains. It was a lonely sound of pain and longing that speared straight through his soul. Who is that...? He listened intently as the sound faded into the night air. Glancing back at the distant shape of Whiterun, he growled in frustration before jogging swiftly to the nearby river. Tearing off his armor, he threw it into his pack and stuffed it between two rocks. Huching over, Farkas threw himself into the power of his wolf. The rush of power surging through his body prickled through his skin as his form shifted and grew. Bones snapped and reformed, muscles strengthened and reattached themselves. He did not know who the howl came from, but he was intent of finding her. The massive black werewolf stood proudly in the soft moonlight, breathing in the cooling air deeply. A growl rumbled through its cavernous chest as he caught the faint feminine trail of his quarry. Keep running. I'll find you.  
Stella loped through the foothills near Falkreath, enjoying the chill of the night air. Pausing to drink from a river, she looked back towards Whiterun, her thoughts wandering towards the handsome nord that she had left. Her heart yearned to go back to him. It had been so long since she had wanted so badly to be around another person. Not since... since her family was taken from her. Making a quiet sound of sadness in her throat, Stella rose from the river side and started to run towards the misty mountains of the Reach. The memory of her family left a deep hollow feeling in her chest, especially during the nights where she ran alone under the moonlight. Shaking her head sadly, Stella began to run faster, willing herself to find joy in the burn of her limbs as she ran.  
Stella stopped running only when the rocky terrain became too steep. Breathing lightly, she looked out over the tall mountains of the Reach wreathed in moonlit mist.  
Farkas paused at the lakeshore where Stella had sat. He sniffed the trail she had left, wondering why there was a strange shewolf in the hold. Farkas savored the delicate scent he was following. It was the smell of a thunderstorm over a field of lavender. It was the smell of running free over the tundra. He felt his member twitch at the thought of burying his muzzle in her fur. Focusing on the scent, he raised his head and breathed deeply. Normally, he was not that adept at tracking but for some reason, this shewolf's scent was sticking in his brain. It was almost familiar to him, but he couldn't quite place where he had scented her before. Swivelling his ears forward as he ran, his tongue lolled in anticipation of finding the female.  
Loping forward through the Reach, Stella was surprised and happy to find a small basin at the base of a waterfall filled to busting with flowers. Flopping down, she rolled joyfully in a patch of the fragrant mountain flowers, loving the smell of the crushed flora beneath her. Letting out a small bark of happiness she frolicked around the area, splashing through the small stream and chasing flower petals and torchbugs on the wind. She loved the mountains to the bottom of her soul.  
All of a sudden, a huge luna moth fluttered by her and Stella's breath caught at the sight of the beautiful creature. One of her earliest memories was being with her father near Mara's Eye Pond, watching scores of the softly glowing moths flutter above them. He had told her the moths first came to Tamriel when a lonely shewolf had prayed for guidance. The goddess Kyraneth, full of love for her children, formed a million glowing shapes that could help guide them through the dark nights. Her father had said that to see a Luna moth so close was a sign that good things were to come.  
Sitting quietly, she watched the moth fly closer before landing on a stalk of lavender near her. The large insect opened and closed its wings slowly. Stella was completely enraptured by it. Deep within her, she felt her human heart clench at the memory of her father. She fought the urge to howl her sadness to the moon, only allowing a small whine to disturb the night. She was so focused on the moth, that Stella forgot to be on her guard. She didn't sense the male coming nearer until he landed gently on the ground in front of her.

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_Thanks for reading! The place I'm trying to talk about is actually in game.. right around Gloomreach. The cave itself gave me the heeby-jeebies.. but the area outside was soo pretty! _

_See y'all soon with the next chapter! I promise that it will be getting distinctly more lemony in the near future! Thanks to everyone for reading, favoriting, and following! I appreciate it! Please don't hesitate to send me reviews, suggestions, and comments! _


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